







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| No worries, I am not together with Mike. | No te preocupes, no estoy con Mike. |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | ¿Eres el único fumador en la casa? |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Dios Mío... ¡Ya entendí! Qué asqueroso... |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | Es una buena elección, hacen unos calamares geniales también aquí. |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | Quién sabe, lo considero nada más que una afición. |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | No está bien hacer eso. |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Buen punto, ¡estoy seguro de que ellos no pagan tanto! |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Sabes que hay personas a las que no les gusta poner su anuncio en Internet. |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | ¡Así que serían 2,800 al mes! |
| The rice section is over there. | La sección de arroces está por allí. |
| Are you serious? | ¿En serio? |
| What about that table? It looks better. | ¿Y qué tal esa mesa? Parece mejor. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | No, no sé lo que es tuyo en la nevera. |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Gracias papá, ¿dónde está la correa de Bear? |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Suena como un buen trato. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Hola señora, ¿sigue al teléfono? |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | ¡Y ellos también tienen tres grandes ventanas en su habitación! |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Estoy bien, ¿cómo estás tú? |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | ¡Necesito usar el caldo de pollo para el risotto! |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | ¡Todo mi trabajo está en esa portátil y no tengo ningún respaldo! |